The Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s conductor Ben Glassberg eagerly announced a whole programme of recently written music, all part of SCO’s welcome ‘new dimensions’ programming. Each piece here referenced other works, or events, or indeed the vibrant saxophonist Jess Gillam performing two pieces specifically written for her. The beautiful and ancient Holy Trinity Church in the centre of historic St Andrews provided a fabulous acoustic and a spiritual ambience to embrace and absorb the different musical worlds in the programme.
Anna Clyne, a former SCO Associate Composer, wrote Sound and Fury when she was in post, an exhilarating work for full orchestra referencing Haydn’s Symphony no. 60 “Il distratto” and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In six linked sections, Clyne takes ancient themes, looping and moulding them, highly energetic strings scurrying and exchanging fragments, the martial horns and trumpets disrupted by sinister woodwinds and grumbling lower strings. Muted brass heralded the spoken “tomorrow and tomorrow….” speech, spoken over the dense sheen of strings, distant tubular bells adding sudden poignancy.
George Walker wrote his Lyric for Strings in memory of his grandmother Malvina King who had been born into slavery. Slow and solemn, the quiet piece developed emotional heights peppered with harmonic twists, Glassberg pacing the arc of the music perfectly. It’s been compared to Barber’s Adagio (both were students at the Curtis Institute) but there is a Vaughan Williams pastoral feel as the work resolved quietly.
Keeping with the strings and another Haydn reference, one of his Op.77 quartets, Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte captivated, featuring conventional and unusual string sounds. Haydn fragments are explored in a slow development of deep intensity, the SCO players at some points sweeping their bows down the strings sounding like a stage-whisper. Extended pizzicatos gave way to sections playing against each other, the violas finally losing patience, creating a rhythmic rumpus whirl across all their strings. Shaw’s work surprises with her distinctive sound worlds including collective string sighing before a solo cello pizzicato chords, ending this extraordinary piece.
Adolphe Sax’s invention and development of the saxophone were not immediately welcomed in the classical world, but recent compositions have come to embrace the instrument’s multiple personalities. Jess Gillam has an enthusiastic and infectiously upbeat approach to playing (as well as radio presenting), her three pieces spotlighting a splendid showcase for her soprano instrument. Dani Howard wrote her Saxophone Concerto for Gillam and as homage to Adolphe Sax, the three movements reflecting early possibilities, challenges and legacy of the instrument. In a filmic score for full orchestra with busy percussion, Gillam pulled long extended notes then exchanged exuberant phrases with the players. I enjoyed the dovetailing of saxophone with clarinet and the calm and beautiful central movement, Gillam floating phrases like painting a peaceful landscape. The final movement had energetic, breath-defying runs, Gillam scattering notes left, right and straight out, the sound reverberating off the church stonework.
The Celtic was dedicated to the BT Scottish Ensemble’s Clio Gould, composer Dave Heath then adapting it for saxophone and string orchestra. From distant strings, a wild ceilidh develops, Gillam’s saxophone becoming more and more animated, notes flying. Heath lived near St Andrews before moving to London, his second movement a beautiful lament for those times, Gillam’s haunting sounds becoming passionate over shimmering strings and a lovely viola solo. The final movement had tinges of reflective sadness but a wild finish. Gillam’s teacher John Harle promised to write an easy piece for Gillam to play, but his Rant is a fiendishly tricky showcase featuring Cumbrian folk tunes, leader Stephanie Gonely getting a huge workout, Gillam answering with her trademark infectious effervescence.
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